It’s National Influenza Vaccination Week! Have you gotten your flu vaccine? As family and friends gather for the holidays, flu activity is increasing. Get a flu vaccine now if you haven’t gotten vaccinated yet. Read More
Getting a flu vaccine isn’t just about keeping you healthy; it’s also about helping to protect everyone around you who may be vulnerable to becoming very sick from flu.
Source: cdc.org
Use Healthcare Bluebook to see facility prices in your area before you schedule a procedure, so you never overpay for medical care again. See how much you can save today! You may even qualify for a reward through the Go Green to Get Green rewards program. See the Benefits Guide for more information. Visit the Healthcare Bluebook portal online or call 800-341-0504.
With all the season’s celebratory meals and treat-heavy traditions, it can be hard to steer clear of the unhealthy stuff. Here's how to enjoy holiday meals while staying true to your food values. Read More
Source: experiencelife.com
The winter holidays are supposed to be joyous, but they can also be hectic, stressful, and sometimes disappointing. But there are techniques you can adopt to handle the holiday crunch better.
Sometimes we feel like time is our enemy, especially when it comes to the holidays and exercise. Extra errands, office parties, your kids’ holiday recitals — they often pop up at times you’d otherwise spend at the gym or with your favorite workout DVD.
In these last overbooked days of the year, if your waistband is feeling as overstuffed as your calendar, here are some ways to squeeze in at least a little exercise. Read More
Source: heart.org
On deck to provide an appetizer, side, or dessert for your next gathering? These holiday-inspired favorites are good-for-you-crowd-pleasers. Read More
Source: experiencelife.com
Enrollment in the program is voluntary. If you choose not to participate, you will be responsible for the copay. Keep in mind that the copay will not count towards your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.
For example:
You are on Copaxone. Your copay is currently $70. Effective January 1, 2020, your copay will increase to $1,000.
If you enroll in the SaveonSP program, the manufacturer copay assistance program pays your full copay, and you will pay nothing ($0).
If you choose not to enroll in the SaveonSP program, your financial responsibility will be the full $1,000 copay. Also, the $1,000 copay will notcount towards your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.
If you are newly prescribed to one of these specialty drugs, Accredo will identify you when you first attempt to fill the prescription and put you in contact with SaveonSP to enroll in the program.
Congratulations to team Stack IT on their first-place finish in the bWell Builds Stack Your Steps Challenge, October 21 to November 19. The team logged an average of 6,173 flights of stairs. Members of the Stack IT team, Mary C., Ana D., Luci L., Jacquetta M., Kevin R., and two additional team members, will each receive a $250 gift card. And Charles B. and Luci L. took top honors for stacking the most flights of stairs and will receive a $250 gift card. Congratulations, Charles and Luci!
Runners up included team America's Helix BRMs logging 2,948 flights of stairs, followed by team Db2 Admin Steppers with 2,663 flights of stairs.
In addition to the challenge winners, 200 participants climbed up 500 flights of stairs during the challenge, logged their activity on mybmcwellness.com, and earned 500 bWell points. Way to go!
Last month Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) entered into a multi-year contract with Kelsey-Seybold Clinic locations in the Houston area.
BMC employees and their covered dependents covered under the PPO and HSA medical plans will have access to the Kelsey-Seybold network starting January 1, 2020. BCBSTX members will have access to more than 400 physicians and allied health practices at 21 Kelsey-Seybold locations in the Greater Houston area. The organization operates the largest freestanding Ambulatory Surgery Center in the state of Texas and offers state-of-the-art radiation therapy technology at a nationally accredited Cancer Center.
Ever wonder how some people can eat all their favorite foods and not gain weight? Naturally Slim is an online program that will teach you how. And here’s a hint: it doesn’t include starving, counting calories or spending hours prepping ‘approved’ foods.
BMC is giving you the chance to learn how to eat the foods you love while reducing your risk of developing severe conditions, like diabetes or heart disease.
Naturally Slim is available at NO COST to you and is accessible via computer and mobile device so you can participate whenever it’s convenient, wherever you are.
The sign-up period runs January 13 to 24, and the program begins February 10. Space is limited, so mark your calendars and go to naturallyslim.com/bmc to learn more.
Employees, spouses, and adult dependents over the age of 18 covered on the BCBS medical plan are eligible to apply.
In this busy world, it's common to quickly devour meals in between (or during!) other pressing tasks. Perhaps you stare at a screen while eating, and in a blink, the meal disappeared, and you barely noticed it. Mindless eating is when your primary attention is elsewhere—not on your food. However, you can improve your eating habits by practicing mindfulness around food. You’re likely to eat better food, and perhaps less food.
Join Magellan’s live interactive webinar Using Mindfulness to Take Charge of Your Eating on Wednesday, Dec.11, at 1 p.m., CST. Learning objectives include:
Space is limited, so register now.
Emotional or stress eating is an unhealthy way to suppress our negative emotions such as fear, anger, and sadness. To avoid emotional eating during holiday events:
Daily diligence
Make better eating decisions! Habits such as rushing through meals, leaning on junk food, or snacking late at night don't support optimal health.
Source: magellanascend.com
Congratulations to Tim P., who attended the FEDTalk virtual workshop on November 14, and won a Google Nest Hub.
If you weren’t able to make it to the November 14 FEDTalk, you could still earn 150 bWell points. Attend another “Create a Budget, Ditch Your Debt, and Start Building for the Future" virtual workshop with a Fidelity expert. Then, submit a screenshot from the workshop to the Benefits team via a My Request ticket to confirm your attendance.
Watch your email for details about the next FEDTalk on January 14, 2020.
FEDTalks are part of a series of quarterly financial well-being workshops BMC hosts featuring Fidelity experts. Whatever your age or financial goals and challenges, these workshops are designed to help you get to your financially healthy place by better managing your finances, making smart financial decisions, and saving for retirement.
According to the Pew Research Center, 1 in 7 middle-aged adults (15%) is providing financial support to both an aging parent and a child. Why are so many feeling this financial squeeze? People are living longer. They are having children later.
Meanwhile, many young adults are finding it too expensive to live on their own. Hence, the “boomerang kids” phenomenon. Add in rising health care expenses for older Americans, and you have the makings of today’s sandwich generation.
The end of the year is an excellent time to check on your workplace financial accounts. The last day of December is sometimes an urgent deadline, so it can make sense to do some year-end housekeeping.
Max out retirement and health savings accounts. Before-tax contributions to the BMC 401(k) Plan will reduce current year taxes. The 2019 contribution limit is $19,000. People over age 50 can contribute an extra $6,000 in catch-up contributions, for a maximum contribution of $25,000. The contribution limit increases to $19,500 for 2020; the catch-up contribution limit rises to $6,500. The deadline is December 31 for this year's contributions.
Contributions to a health savings account (HSA) reduce taxes too. The IRS maximum annual contribution limit for HSAs in 2019 is $3,500 for those individuals electing single coverage under the HSA medical plan), and $7,000 for those electing family coverage. Individuals over age 55 may contribute an additional $1,000 (this applies to both single and family HDHP coverage). Family coverage includes any level of coverage other than employee-only coverage. The deadline for 2019 contributions to an HSA is April 15, 2020.
Source: Fidelty.com
MyBMC Rewards provides a snapshot of your pay, retirement benefits, health and insurance benefits and corporate programs. Visit MyBMC Rewards to:
Go online anytime or call 877-262-4849. Representatives are available from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Eastern time.
From enrollment reminders to important 401(k) information and benefits updates, you can be the first to know when your attention or action is required.
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BCBSTX ResourcesOther Resources/ServicesView recorded WebEx presentations on benefits topics.
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BCBSTX ResourcesOther Resources/ServicesView recorded WebEx presentations on benefits topics.
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BCBSTX ResourcesOther Resources/ServicesView recorded WebEx presentations on benefits topics.
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BCBSTX ResourcesOther Resources/ServicesFind FAQs, rates, benefit provider websites and more.
BCBSTX ResourcesOther Resources/ServicesView recorded WebEx presentations on benefits topics.